He was adored as the
Shanmalacharya for this yeoman service rendered to Hindu Dharma that rallied under one banner
even the dissident, ever warning. headless, bogus religious leaders of his day. My casual perusal
illuminating exhilarated me, and at once I effected a change in my original form of a temple
trio logy comprising 1000 into a quartet of 1116 Hindu temples of hoary antiquity and inexplicable
sublimity by adding 116 temples for the triple sects of Gaanapatyam, Souram and
Koumaram. This
indeed is the origin or cause for the emergence of another addition to my writing project on
temples.

Then arose a major problem: for, there are no adequate number of temples for Lord
Surya Bhagawan. Does this not exhibit, I thought. gross ingratitude of humanity for not erecting
temples for this Karmasakshi - the observer of action, the giver of file, strength and sustenance
to the whole animate world? Above all, he is the visible reality among the gods justifying the truth
ofevery
word of calling him the Pratyaksha Daivam,conspicuous god described in the holy
scriptures. Very few are found, but the pity is that they are in ruins. Might
be, the temple builders in the past represented him through carvings and
paintings on walls and pillars and even ceilings, but not erected independent,
exclusive, superb shrines for him.